SPEAKER_00: Hi everyone, it's Nancy with your Wednesday edition of our daily walk.
SPEAKER_00: As we looked at Nehemiah chapter 9 this past Sunday, we saw how the Israelites, the children of God, came before him and demonstrated a true fear of the Lord, meaning an awe and a reverence for him, his power, his majesty, his love for his children, how he had led them and their forefathers through challenge after challenge, how he had provided for them, how he corrected them when they disobeyed, how he longed for them to follow him in obedience with all their hearts.
SPEAKER_00: That fear, that reverent awareness of God led them to a time of confession of the sins that had broken that relationship with him.
SPEAKER_00: As we read that passage, I thought of Psalm 51, a prayer David wrote to the Lord, confessing his sin, acknowledging God's greatness, asking for mercy and forgiveness, asking for God to give him a clean heart and a renewed spirit, and closing with praise and a renewed commitment to the Lord.
SPEAKER_00: Let me share with you Psalm 103 that David also wrote as a guide, as a testimony of sorts, acknowledging God's mercy and grace, his forgiveness, his leading, his faithfulness, his everlasting love.
SPEAKER_00: Listen to David's Psalm of Praise.
SPEAKER_00: Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
SPEAKER_00: Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good, so that your youth is renewed like the eagles.
SPEAKER_00: The Lord works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed.
SPEAKER_00: He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel.
SPEAKER_00: The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
SPEAKER_00: He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever.
SPEAKER_00: He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.
SPEAKER_00: For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love towards those who fear him.
SPEAKER_00: As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
SPEAKER_00: As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.
SPEAKER_00: For he knows our frame.
SPEAKER_00: But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children's children, to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments.
SPEAKER_00: The Lord has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all.
SPEAKER_00: Bless the Lord, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his work.
SPEAKER_00: Obey the voice of his word.
SPEAKER_00: Bless the Lord all his hosts, his ministers who do his will.
SPEAKER_00: Bless the Lord all his works in all places of his dominion.
SPEAKER_00: Bless the Lord, O my soul.
SPEAKER_00: Amen.